Los Angeles daily herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1884-1890, 1887-06-23
COMMENCEMENT.
Thirteenth Annual Exer-
cises of the High School.
ESSAYS AND CREATIONS.
Final Test of scholarship OF Those
Educated in fhe Los Ange-
les Schools.

took place at the Grand Opera hou'
last night on which occasion there WI
large attendance of the friends OF u
graduating members of the class oil D
In the box at the right of the stag
were the members of the Board c
Education as follows: DIR. Josep
Kurtz, President; Mrs. Anna 5. Aver
i'll. Secretary; G. p. Thurston, f: !
Graham, G. N. Earl and Superintendent
w. W. Freisner.
The graduating class of which ther
were 10 members were seated on Tn
stage and arranged behind the loot
lights were numerous floral design
many of which were OF grea
beauty. The exercises synops!
of which is given below showtt
that under the able training OF tn'
Principal, Miss L. A Packard, ana mel
corps of assistants, Miss f. A. Danhatn
Mrs. NJ. L. Chapman, Mrs. Nj. }. Frick
Mis-. C. P. Bradfield and Professor h.
Ludlam, the young ladies and gentlemen
had received training which will in the
future prove of inestimable benefit t.
them, The names OF the graduates are
to be found below connected with tine
parts all had to fill in the exercises OF
the evening, and it is to be regretted
that space will permit each essay
and Grafton TO be given IN full, Tor all
were worthy Of perusal by the puniic
in general.
After an overture by the Heine Y lar'
tette the folio wing Introductory remarks
were given by
PRESIDENT DR.. KURrz'
Ladies and Gentlemen: According to
time.honored custom, and by request
OF my colleagues of the Board OF Educa--
ton. l have the honor to present to you
the graduating class of our High School,
the Glass of 81, as they are pleased to
style themselves. Having labored under
more than ordinary disadvantages as
compared with previous classes. they
were forced to exert their energies IN a
very great measure to accomplish their
object. But l am happy to state that
they have fully as well succeeded as
their predecessors in deserving their
diplomas.
Those disadvantages to which | allude
consisted mainly in the lack of sch DOL
rooms, which are indispensable to prop
erly conduct their studies. You are all
aware that with the growth of this city
there must follow corresponding in
crease in the number of pupils. Last
year we had to provide for over 6OO
more school children than the previous
year. Therefore we built additions to
various schoolhouses; also moved the
central school to its present site. and
before we could provide for our High
School we found our treasury 50 depict.
ed that we had to abandon our plans and
get along as best we could. In fact we
had not yet buildings enough for the
primary and grammer grades. and SO we
were obliged TO build shansies,
rough lumber buildings, in some parts OF
the city TO furnish room Tor the
pupils. And those temporary
shanties stand to-day, a monument
of poverty and disgrace to this
wealthy city. In spite of all that, we
were still obliged TO establish "half-day
sessions" in many of the schools in order
to accommodate all. Consequently our
High School had to suffer with the rest,
the more so as we had first of all to grant
our children a primary and grammar
education, and therefore we had to
double up on our High School that
is to allow them only halliday sessions,
two classes in the morning and two in
the afternoon. Now there is not much
amiss to teach children in the primary
only three hours days but
three hours daily for high school is
certainly insufficient.
And this condition prevails to-day and
will to much larger extent prevail dur
ing the next term, for according to our
school census taken recently we must
provide seating capacity for about 1900
to 1000 more pupils the next term than
We had the past year. Los Angeles
is booming, not only in real estate, but
in school children as we'll, Foreseeing
that, the Board had an act of the Legis-
lature passed this last session which en-
ables the city to raise the necessary
money by special election, and in due
time we called upon the Council, asking
it to take the legal steps towards
this election. After many weeks the
Council finally (day before yesterday
got the matter in such shape that a
call for an election will soon be pub
lished. The election may take place a
month hence and if it results in the af-
firmative it will take some months yet to
dispose of the bonds and then the
school-sites have to be selected, plans
and specifications to be made and by
all that 3 or 4 months will have passed
before we may begin to build about 40
new schoolrooms. You may we'll i'm.
agine that we can scarcely get possess
ion of them before the end of the next
school.year. The result of this will be
calamity to this city, perhaps 1000
1000 children may have to be refused
admittance to our schools on account OF
lack of room and this may turn away
and keep many Thousands of people from
our city who will naturally prefer tc
live in place where they are offered q
better opportunity to educite theii
children. Now in spite of such diff
culties, in spite of the short time
allotted to our scholars of the High
school, they had only 8 months in the
year aud only halliday sessions. This
present graduating class has done well
they have faithfully made up at hom'
what they could not do in the class
room where they had scarcely NOR
than time enough to recite, and there
fore they deserve the more credit il
accomplishing their object. Their ex
ercises which will take place now viii
bear testimony to my statement.
Essays AND ORATIoNS.
Miss Mary L. Hays delivered the fol
lowing salutatory: SIN appearing bt
fore you for the last time as pupils of tn
Los Angeles High School we do nc
come pretending TO be either solons @
Solomon, but simply with a desire t
interest you and to prove to you tha
our four years work has not been
vain. We are glad to see so many pre-
emit, and hoping you will enjoy our 9,
ercises extend to you all most cordii
greeting"
Marco Hellman delivered an cratic
on "The March of Civilization"
which he detailed the historical progre
and advance Of increasing intelligence